by Taj McCoy El
“Margaret, get this guy moving!!!” The necro cast Resurrection Doll and the jack rose to its feet, charging at the jack she had hit which was now chasing her. The jack doll tumbled into the charging jack and began to bite and claw, lowering its HP. The third jack’s horn began to glow as it lowered its head and charged in. The fourth jack followed suit. About three feet out, the third jack became a red flash and she felt a deep slice on the side of her calf, doing 7DP. She stepped to the side as the fourth jack attempted to use the same attack. She felt the whoosh of the flying creature on her bare shin.
Without being told, Margaret raised the second jack and sent them to deal with the other two. Mayah stood, her chest heaving for air. It was quite a sight seeing the jack dolls fight their kin. She looked at Margaret who looked like she was hanging on by a thread. She didn’t seem hurt, but she looked like she was about to blow chunks. Her dry heaves looked like sick, twisted laughter with no sound in a weird sort of way.
One of the jacks was down, and so was one of the dolls. Margaret resurrected the next doll and sent it to finish off the remaining jack.
As soon as the last jack died, the mound began to shake. A foot burst out of the mound, followed rapidly by another three. Four furry feet with long claws were attached to the largest terravole yet. Margaret held on for dear life as the clawed feet pressed down on the ground, raising the mound a foot or so into the air. It was about six feet across and wore the earth of the mound like a protective shell. It had yellow, crusty eyes and saliva dripped off of its large, sharp incisors. It growled so loudly Mayah could feel it in her feet.
Terravole mother
Level 5
HP 75/75
“Margaret, get those dolls ready!” She took a few steps backwards. Time for the boss stage!!! “Have them attack the feet. Bite and run. We can’t lose these guys or we’re gonna eat grass.”
The mother roared and charged Mayah. The jacks intercepted it, snapping at its feet, breaking its stride. Mayah took the moment of confusion to activate Crushing Blow. Using an overhead swing, she planted the mother’s face into the dirt for another critical hit draining off a third of its remaining HP. The creature roared and clambered to its feet, eyeing her in rage and activated some type of earth magic. The ground shook and split around her feet, causing her to lose her balance. As she fell, the mother tried to run her over. Just before she did, the jacks ganged up on her back legs and slowed it to a crawl.
Mayah rolled away from the creature. She ran a few feet away leading the mother like a kite on a string. When she got a little distance she turned, enchanted a grenade and threw it at the mother. It went off and barely did anything. A notification popped up.
Grenade -6DP
Earth magic resisted
Resistance to magic??? I need to find a way to hamstring this thing. I wonder if it has any soft spots, an Achilles heel? … Duh!!! She activated Achilles Heel and saw a blue glow underneath the spot where Margaret was now riding the thing. “Margaret, there's a weak spot under the dirt. See if you can find it. Nope, a little to the left... right there.”
Margaret started digging with her hands. The jacks weren’t as effective dead as they were alive. They were nibbling away at the mother's HP but they weren’t going to last much longer. She needed to get to that soft spot. Suddenly, the mother spun in place, and with a glowing swipe of one of its large, clawed feet sent the two jacks sailing through the air, disemboweled. Mayah was sure they were done for.
“I found it, but I don’t have any weapons.”
“Where’s your weapon?”
“The terravoles took it when I dropped it and ran.”
What am I gonna do with this woman?
“Okay, when you see me jump, roll over to the side and see if you can escape.”
The mother had just finished off the last jack, her HP down to a quarter and turned her full attention to Mayah. Mayah ran towards the beast. When she was in range, the beast snapped at the same moment she leapt. Kicking downwards on its head to propel her further up its back, she activated Crushing Blow and slammed Happiness into the glowing blue spot in the center of its back. She landed on her knees, losing some HP. The creature shrieked and bucked, throwing Margaret, who was mid-leap, unceremoniously face first into the dirt. Mayah raised Happiness, triggering Crushing Blow again and felt the headache of her stamina drain hit her fully as she swung downward with all of her might. The mother fell forward onto its face and laid still.
DING!!!
You have defeated Terravole Mother. 50XP
You have defeated 1x Terravole Jack 20XP
43x Terravole 43XP
DING!!!
You have completed hidden quest: Terravole extermination. 50XP
For first completion of this quest: 50xp
DING!!!
Level Up!!!
Princess Cuddle Fluff
Level 5
207XP till next level
DING!!!
New active skill
Whack-A-Vole level 1
Attack speeds increased by 20%, stamina drain increased by 50% during Whack-A-Vole attack
Mayah let her body collapse on top of the mother and took a few relieved breaths. She looked at Margaret who was reading her notifications. “How did you do?”
“I leveled up to 3 and finished some hidden quest. I raised my mana by 2 and can now use four dolls at once.”
“Welcome to Majesta.” She walked over to her and offered her a hand. Behind her, the crater where the mother had been laying was uncovered. She looked in to see a pile of loot. Margaret appeared at her side.
“My knife!” She reached in and snatched it like a long-lost child. She clutched it to her breast lovingly.
It was a kitchen knife with a black blade and some sort of runes drawn on it. There was also a stash of weapons, armor, and gold coins.
“Want to split this up?”
“Sure,” she said, smiling weakly. Her face was still green, but her dry heaves had tapered off at least.
“That necro skill you have is pretty interesting. I wonder what would happen if we took this terravole mother and used her against a bunch of other creatures. You could level up pretty quickly.”
Margaret looked at the hulking mound of dead flesh over her shoulder, shuddering. “I don’t want to.”
“You do know that you can pick a new magic skill at level 5, right? I'm guessing you were at 2 when I first got here and now you’re 3? You didn’t even have to lift a finger. You weren’t too bad after you got the hang of it. I think we should party up and make some noise. Besides, there aren’t that many people that’ll help you out in a pinch if you’re alone.” Margaret's head hung in silence.
“Have a think about it. I'm gonna go and get all of the loot for us.” Mayah took the loot from everything except the remaining terravole mother, hoping that Margaret would resurrect it.
“So, have you decided if you want to party up or not?” she said, giving Margaret her share.
“I like the idea, but that thing is dead.”
“Yup!!! Better get used to it or reroll your character.” She didn’t have time to mince words with Margaret.
“It’s better to have it do your will than just going to rot. That thing’ll take out most creatures in this part of the forest with one swipe. You’ll level up so fast it’ll make your head spin, and then... new magic book.”
Margaret still just sat there. Mayah finally said, “Why’d you come to Majesta if you’re just gonna sit there and pout, anyway?”
“There are some people I need to spend time with. I promised them I’d be here for them.” She lifted her head and stared at the sky.
“Well, you’re not gonna meet them until you leave the training village,” Mayah informed her.
“I guess you’re right.” She stood up and dusted off the front of her suit.
“I made a promise …it looks like I'm going to have to work harder than I thought.” Her eyes went distant for a moment. She shook off
her mood and said, “Well, ‘If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.’”
“That’s the spirit. It’s time to embrace the game.” Mayah rubbed her hands together.
“I came here to spend time with my grandkids and a stupid terravole won’t stop me.”
Grandkids? Well, that explains a lot.
Mayah pat her arm and said, “There ya go!!! Let’s get a move on. Its gonna get dark sooner than later and I don’t want to see what comes out after dark.”
Margaret shuddered.
…..
3.3 Awwww… Grandma
By the time they made it back to the village, they had tons of loot, XP, and new levels. Mayah was level 6 with a +2 across the board of her stats. She figured that being in combat would help her earn individual stat points faster than training. It was inherently more dangerous, but worth the risk at her low level. Margaret was level 5, in large part thanks to the terravole mother doing most of the heavy lifting. She was finally coming to terms with her magic, and if not enjoying it, at least appreciating it. They were being followed by the terravole mother and a level 5 grassnakk, Margaret's new dolls. The grassnakk had been a “fun” battle. At higher levels, they became venomous and could poison with a scratch or a bite and spit their toxins. Nasty little beasties, as they were also a lot bigger and faster.
As they got closer to the village, Mayah wondered what would happen to the resurrected creatures. Would they be able to pass through the barrier? As they approached, a holographic warning sign flashed on the barrier. It read, “undead storage,” with an arrow pointing to the left. They walked along the fence until they reached a crypt-like opening built into a small hill made of solid, weathered stone.
“I guess you’re supposed to put them in there?” Mayah motioned to the door of the crypt urging Margaret to go in.
“I’m not going in there.”
“Good evening, ladies.” The voice came from out of the shadows on the left of the opening. They both jumped.
A short figure in a black cloak stood silently inside the door to the crypt. The cloak covered his head, hiding his features. Without moving, he looked like stone that had fallen and was covered by the shadows.
“Would you like to store your undead?” the figure asked politely.
“In there?” Margaret asked.
“You could leave them out here,” the figure chuckled, “but then the other necromancers might steal them from you. We offer safe, secure storage in the crypts.”
“You don’t really want to lose these, do you?” Mayah looked at Margaret intently.
“No, I guess not.”
“Well then, let’s get it over with.”
They followed the cloaked figure down the long, dark passageway. Margaret kept her dolls between them and the cloaked one. The terravole mother almost brushed the sides of the walls as it ambled along. Mayah studied the mysterious personage, reckoning he was an inch or two taller than her. After a quick series of turns, they found themselves entering a lit room. It had shown up after a sudden switchback, almost blinding them after so long in the darkness.
The room was actually quite pleasant. It had cedar wainscot—the odor of which permeated the room, a small ledger desk, and two comfortable seats, one of which Mayah jumped into almost instantly. On the floor, there was a large square stone that held four runes, one in each corner. In the middle of the runes was a plain, unbroken circle.
“At least we don’t have to walk in a real crypt,” Margaret said.
The cloaked figure removed his hood to reveal a human face. His ears were large and pointed, and as he smiled at them, he showed them his slightly-larger-than-normal canines. His bluish-black hair looked like Clark Kent’s, not a strand out of place. His eyes, besides being amber, were extremely human, his eyebrows a bit bushy.
“Please direct your dolls onto the runeagram,” the gnome said, motioning at the circle.
Margaret did as she was asked. A dark blue light flashed from the runes, and her dolls disappeared, leaving a blue crystal token lying in the center. The gnome picked it up and handed it to Margaret. She took the token reluctantly as if it were a handful of bloody, wriggling worms, quickly putting it in her bag. She then wiped her hands on her pants legs.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“You are most welcome. You look positively beat.” His face could’ve been that of a maturing Hollywood star if not for his large eye teeth.
“Would you ladies care for a cup of tea?” The gnome asked expectantly. Mayah swore his eyes were begging beneath his dark and sinister countenance.
Margaret looked like she was ready to bolt. It had been a very trying day for her, but Mayah was feeling like exploring more, and trying to make Margaret understand the inner workings that made Majesta so amazing.
“I think we should take him up on his offer,” she said before Margaret could make a move. She froze Mayah with an evil glance instead.
“Fine,” Margaret huffed under her breath.
The gnome’s smile split his face from ear to ear. With a jubilant little hop to his step, he walked to a wall and pressed his hand to a piece of the wainscot. It swung away with a click, revealing a lever. He pulled it and part of the wall slid away.
“If you wouldn’t mind, it’s much more comfortable in my study.”
They followed him down a short, dark tunnel made of hewn stone. At a dead end, he pulled another hidden lever that closed the door behind them and the wall in front of them slid to the side. Margaret’s jaw dropped when she saw the immaculate room in front of her.
It was a sitting room with a fireplace and five comfy, high backed, tufted armchairs with large doilies on their backs. Everything was very tasteful (even if it was done in pastels, which everyone should know is very hard to do well). The only exceptions to the Easter motif were the bookshelves, which were made of a lightly stained wood on two of the walls. The room spoke of culture and noble upbringing. There were Faberge eggs above the mantle, along with a tasteful family portrait of a gnomish family in regal attire. It was very, very relaxing.
The gnome bowed, sweeping his arms into the room. “My name is Cloutus; welcome to my study.”
Margaret, obviously impressed with the study, bowed back and offered her hand, which Cloutus quickly took.
“My name is Margaret.” Cloutus kissed her hand, his eyes never leaving hers.
“My name is Mayah. No kissing please.” Cloutus took her hand in a firm grip and smiled at her instead.
“It is truly a pleasure to meet you ladies. Now, if you’ll excuse me for a moment, I must fetch tea and biscuits. It’s been so long since I’ve had proper company.” He sounded absolutely giddy.
A few minutes passed and Cloutus returned, his cloak gone. He was sporting a pale-yellow sweater vest with a pale blue, French cuffed shirt and pale red tie. His crisply creased khakis came rest on a pair of penny loafers. He carried a tray that he set on the table between them. It was a beautiful bone china set with a silver filigree roses on each side. There were three cups on their filigreed saucers and a teapot with steam coming from its spout. There was also a platter of cookies that were fastidiously arranged into a spiral that would have made any event planner jealous. Mayah and Margaret fully warmed to the occasion, looking at the tasty and elegant service.
“Well, you ladies must’ve had a day,” he said, pouring the hot water over the tea bags. “I haven’t seen a terravole mother in ages! They’re quite nasty to defeat for beginners. How did you come upon the beast?”
“Would you like to tell the story, or should I?” Mayah asked Margaret with a hint of implication. Margaret started the tale, letting Mayah take over to tell her role in their battles against the terravoles.
“All in all, I couldn’t have done it without Margaret,” Mayah said to her rapt audience. “She really showed her fighting spirit, but her necromancy lacks a certain joie de mort. The fact that she absolutely detests dead things is probably the be
st point of this story though. She was casting resurrection doll with everything she had, but every time her face got greener and greener until she was reduced to a blubbering dry heaving lump on top of the mound.”
“That’ll be enough of that young lady,” Margaret snapped.
Mayah and Cloutus, both looked at her as their faces split with friendly laughter.
Once they calmed down and some of the flush had left Margaret’s face, Cloutus asked, “How did you become a necromancer who dislikes dead things?”
He looked her in the eyes. “Would you do me the honor of telling me the story?”
Margaret reached for her tea, taking a small sip and placed the cup daintily in her saucer. “It was a mistake,” she said, her eyes looking cold.
“Now that I can believe. Oh, my poor dear, is there anything that I can do to help?” he seemed intent to do just that.
“I just got up to level 5 so I can pick another magic skill. Now I won’t have to worry about it anymore.”
“While that sounds fine and well, why would you willingly give up your power? Magic is your ability to change the world around you. Why handicap yourself? Unless you become a reborn paladin, this power will be with you always. Do not shy from it.”
“But they’re dead…”
“Yes, they are. And why does that disturb you?”
“Because they’re dead.”
“Come now, you must know that everything dies.”
“But I don’t want to think about dying.” There was a serious note in her voice that made it catch. She looked away from Mayah and Cloutus.
“Well if you don’t wanna talk about it….” Mayah offered compassionately.
Mayah heard her mumble under her breath, “It just hits too close to home.”
Light bulbs flashed in her head, and without thinking of the consequences Mayah whispered, “Are you dying? ...Margaret?”
A sob escaped Margaret’s throat, and tears began to stream down her face. “I got into this game to play with my grandsons. I thought we could be together for a while…. before… I thought we could be together for a bit. But now I just have to get out of here. I know once I get out of the training village I can find them, but it seems like I just can’t get it together.”
